With $4 Million In Sponsorships, Max Verstappen Loses Loyal Dutch Endorsement For Being "Too Big"

Max Verstappen stands as one of the most marketable drivers on the F1 grid, owing to his reign as three-time world champion. Listed by Forbes as the 22nd-highest paid athlete in 2022 (2023 rankings to be released this year), the Dutchman earned a pre-tax total of around $64 million, with approximately $4 million earned from sponsorships as per WWD. However, being too good led to Verstappen losing out on a long-time local sponsorship deal.

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Dutch supermarket chain, ‘Jumbo,’ is one of the premier sponsors of the 26-year-old, having stayed by his side since his days in Formula 3. However, the latest update from Autobahn reports the long-standing association between the driver and the supermarket chain is now over, quoting the statement of CEO Ton Van Veen.

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“Jumbo has lost some of its focus in recent years. We added a number of activities that did not necessarily strengthen the formula. Max Verstappen is a world champion. But we are a Dutch supermarket company, not even the largest. We have little business on the world stage.”

The decision comes after Jumbo found itself caught in allegations of money laundering practices. It led to ex-boss Frits Van Erd stepping down from the CEO post, giving way to Van Veen coming in and making the necessary changes to bring the chain’s focus back to where it should be.

Even Van Erd’s WEC team (Racing Team Netherlands) did not survive the incident stemming from Van Veen’s focus on recapturing the market share. Furthermore, Jumbo will pull away from all other sports, as well, to regain focus on core business and lower the prices of their commodities, which went up so they could continue supporting their sponsored Athletes.

No shortage of big name sponsors for Max Verstappen

Owing to raw talent and his father’s nevermore drive to achieve what’s best for his son, Verstappen had plenty of sponsors supporting his motorsports career from a young age. Now that he is a world champion F1 driver, brands like Heineken, Red Bull, Viaplay, and EA Sports feature on the Helmet and car of the Dutchman.

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Heineken’s sponsorship of Verstappen also gave way to their partnering for Player 0.0, which is a platform for e-sports enthusiasts. Being his employer, Red Bull is also among the premier sponsors of Verstappen, featuring on any equipment used by the 26-year-old.

Showing off its name on Verstappen’s helmet, Viaplay is his latest sponsor. The online streaming platform reserves the rights for the Dutch F1 since 2022 and also boasts exclusive interviews and documentaries about the Red Bull driver. Another new sponsor for the Dutchman is EA Sports. Through this partnership, the gaming company promises exclusive Verstappen-themed content in various games while featuring at the front of his helmet.

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